Relay b3

BLU contests a RED satellite relay station, hidden in plain sight in the middle of a larger industrial area. BLU must must capture several control points of varying interest, that culminates inside the RED base proper.

The plan is to have 2 stage : a first standard-size stage with 2 cps, and then a second and final stage with 3 cps. I feel this format allows for a lot of variety, while not having as many downtimes as 3-stage maps. The final stage's larger size provides a different challenge for both teams, as BLU must keep pushing forward after the second cap and RED must know when to rellocate in time to defend the next cap.

The map is now single-stage, 3 control points, similar to manor/mountainlab, but with forward spawns and less out-of-control line of sights.

Another difference with the standard set by dustbowl is in the rules. Respawn times are less stacked against RED for the most part, and the countdown timer is also less generous with BLU, with each capture only giving 3 minutes of additional time. This makes for faster-paced rounds and means that BLU must be more decisive as they cannot afford to throw waves after waves of attackers against every point. On the other hand, while the cps themselves are defensible, the areas in between are not quite prone to the spam tactics that can win dustbowl. I'm trying to stay away from the narrow corridors of doom as much as possible.

Detailed changelog:

a2:
-added a forward spawn for RED so long as they are holding A. This allows them to put up a better fight on A even without teleporters. More importantly it means that some freshly respawned RED players will be ready to defend B when they lose A.
-added a forward spawn for BLU after they capture B. This is experimental, it may be overkill, or not, but I think the travel time from BLU spawn to C was outrageous, and C can be turtled quite efficiently given enough time to setup.
-increased capture time for B to 25 seconds. This should allow RED to better prepare for the final assault.
-decreased time awarded for cap B to 2 minutes.
-spawn times are now 8-4s. This is a significantly smaller spawn time advantage for BLU than in stock maps. BLU's spawn time now decreases when the timer reaches 2 minutes and decreases again when it reaches one minute (it resets to normal on a succesful capture). RED spawn times when defending C are still 10s (max).
-some paths will open and close as points are captured (basically, it discourages you from going in the wrong direction, to counter the disorienting effect of changing spawns).
-some early detailing tweaks
-stairs clipping

a3:
-Changed name to relay
-Removed BLU forward spawn because I can't figure out a good spot, so they'll have to walk or set up a tele.
-Shortened BLU's spawn times after cap B to make up for the lack of forward spawn.
-Rework of cap C area, more cover. Different detailing (no more symmetry).
-Added a huge landmark around cap C, visible from about anywhere in the map.
-Added a third exit to RED's spawn, on the ground level.
-Added cover/clutter props around B
-Added a small route between A and B's "yard"
-Some more signs, look at them.

a4:
-Removed some health spawns and reduced the size of others.
-Slight rework of cap A, more cover options, the upper ledge now extends all the way to the other building, providing a place that overlooks the entire cap area as well as one of the flanking routes for BLU.
-Removed one of the exits for BLU as it was almost never used due to being so far away from the spawn.
-Added a forward spawn for BLU, again. Hopefully this one works out well.
-More detailing experiments in the RED base
-One path now opens up between the right flanking route to B, and C, after B is captured (this is because this path became useless after capping B, and would confuse some people including the author)
-Some clipping issues with computer mainframes and stairs resolved.
+Known issues : hazardous cubemap manual manipulations resulting in local purple checkerboard sightings.:facepalm:
+In some cases, RED wins if BLU captures B during overtime ?...

b1:
-texture/detailing pass
-reduced catpure time for A and B a little
-tweaked spawn times and positions : red loses their forward spawn ten seconds after A is captured (reducing the chance for BLU to just steamroll through B unopposed right after capping A), red spawn times are maxed out 10s after B is captured.
-reduced initial timer to 4 minutes (down from 5)
-Increased time awarded for captures A and B to 3 minutes (up from 2)
-Added a hole in the wall in the warehouse at A
-Added crates over the window dropdown at A which means it's easier for players to stand there and shoot down, and it's now possible to put a sentry there for example.
-Line of sight and items tweaks around B and C

b3 (contest release):
-moved blu spawn forward a bit to cut down useless walk times
-moved red spawn visualizers back a bit to prevent spamming the final point from the relative safety of the doorstep
-made forward spawns for both team re-enterable, now with resupply cabinets. Red forward spawn will teleport anyone still inside to the main red spawn shortly after it is deactivated.
-tweaked a lot of little things no-one will notice (cubemaps, lighting, lightmaps, props, graphic glitches, detail brushwork...)